James des brisay



(No Model.)

J. DES BRISAY. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

I No. 454,995. Patented June .30, 1891.

' 61mm aka Qua UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DES BRISAY, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,995, dated June 30,1891. Application filed December 10, 1890. Serial No. 374,131. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMES DES 'BRIsAY, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, and a resident of New York city, county and State of New York,have made a new and useful invention in Electric Switches, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is directed to improvements in electric switches of thetwo-pole type for use in connection with systems of electric lighting oranalogous systems of electrical distribution, and while it is directedparticularly to a two-pole switch I desireit to be understood that manyof the details of construction hereinafter described are particularlyapplicable to electric switches in general.

The invention will be fully understood by referring to the accompanyingdrawings, taken in connection with the following description.

Figure l is a plan view of my switch, showing a portion of the topbroken away in order to better illustrate the interior mechanismthereof. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig.3, and as seen looking down upon Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionalview showing a part of the interior construction broken away. Fig. 4 isa detail view showing the means of attaching the switch-cover to thebase thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the switch-handle and itsoperative connection with the base.

A is the base of the switch-box, made preferably of porcelain, vegetablefiber, or any analogous non-conducting non-combustible material. 1

B CB 0 are binding-posts for connecting the incoming circuits 1) c tothe switch proper. These binding-posts are of wedge shape orconstruction, and are provided each with a longitudinal slot g, intowhich project the ends of the switch-springs B B C 0, each made,preferably, of a piece of elastic metal bent from its middle back uponitself and provided at its inner end with a slot, through which thebinding-screw e may pass freely, so as to firmly bind the incomingconductor 1) 0' when its free end is inserted in the vertical hole,which extends throughout the length of the binding-posts, as clearlyshown in Figs. 2 and 3. These binding-posts are put in place byinserting their smaller ends through the beveled retaining-holes in thebase of the switch-board. The doubled ends of the switch-springs B C arethen inserted in the vertical grooves g, and the set-screws f are drivenfirmly home against the ends of said springs, forcing them firmlyagainst the cause the binding-posts to be securely wedged.v

in position in .the base. After the bindingposts are thus fixed in placewith the two sets of contacting-springs located as shown in dotted linesin Fig. l, a non-conducting noncombustible switch -handle D is insertedbetween the two movable contact-springs C C, so that theupper portion ofthe handle is located in alignment with the word Off on the top of theswitch-box. The cap or cover of the switch-box is then slipped over the.

switch, so that its lower edge,which is grooved, shall be held firmly inposition by the curved retaining-springs s, secured to the base bybolts, as clearly shown in the detail figure in i Fig. 4. This cap E isprovided with an opening at its top which fits snugly around theshoulder d of the switch-handle, and its interior portion is lined witha non-conducting non combustible material, as clearly shown.

Two limitingstops are screwed into the base on either side of theswitch-handle, as shown in Fig. 2, and their location is such that whenthe switch-handle stands in the potion indicated in Fig. 2 in full linesthe handle will be stopped from further rotation in the direction of thearrow, and the switchsprings C G will have formed a firm sliding androlling contact with the fixed contactsprings 3' B, and when the handleD is turned in the position indicated in dotted lines it will come intocontact with the other limiting-stop, and the switch-springs O C willsuddenly separate by a snap action, thereby preventing an arc andassuming the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

It will be noted that by virtue of the rollin g and sliding action ofthe two sets of switchsprings C and B, I am enabled to furnish anabsolute conducting-contact at each pole of the switch, and at the sametime cause these two sets of switch-springs to keep always free fromdirt, oxides, or any analogous non-conducting substances, thereby alwaysfurnishing a sure and absolute path at each pole for the current. I alsoplace especial stress upon the advantage which accrues from my improvedform of non-conducting non-combustible switch-handle D, which isprovided with an extended shoulder cl of sufficient breadth to preventany contact with any metallic portion of the switch-box during the timethat an attendant is manipulating the switch. This feature, takeninconnection with the insulated non-combustible base and the insulatednoncombustible lining of the switch-box, makes the apparatus especiallysecure againstshocks to an attendant or danger from fire by reason ofshort circuits or fusing of the conducting parts within the box.

The entire apparatus also possesses an cspecial advantage in thesimplicity of its construction and the ease with which it may be takenapart, the individual portions thereof restored or replaced, and theentire mechanism repaired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A switch having a base provided with beveled holes and two or morebeveled binding-posts, each having a longitudinal slot, in combinationwith switch-electrodes adapted to fit in said slots and having lateralbearing upon the inner face of the switch-base, each binding-post beingprovided with an adjusting-screw adapted to securely bind it to thebase, substantially as described.

2. A binding-post of beveled or wedged shape adapted to fit in abase-plate having a hole of similar shape, said binding-post having avertical slot into which is fitted a contact-sprin g, saidcontact-spring havinglateral bearing against the upper face of the baseat its lower edge and against an adjustmentscrew at its upper edge,substantially as described.

3. A binding post for use in electrical switches and analogous devicesof wedge shape adapted to lit in a hole of similar shape in abase-plate, said binding-post having a longitudinal slit into which isfitted a piece of metal or similar material having lateral bearing onthe upper face of the base at its lower edge and against an adjustment-screw at its upper edge, substantially as described.

a. In an electric switch, a base provided with a cover and fasteningdevices for the cover secured to the base, in combination with aswitch-handle removably journaled in the base and held in positionagainst the base by said cover, whereby said cover and switchhandle maybe easily removed, substantially as described.

J AMES DES BRISAY.

'Witnesses:

GEO. II. S'rAYNEn, Jim, 0. .T. KIN'JINER.

